Fence Erectors
Architecture and ConstructionO*NET 47-4031.00United States
Erect and repair fences and fence gates, using hand and power tools.
- Median annual earnings
- $44,905
- Projected change
- +8%
- Typical education
- High school diploma or less
- Employment
- 35.08K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
76.9% of the workforce
Growing to 37.88K by 2035
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ASU learning related to this career
These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
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The work
What fence erectors do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- Establish the location for a fence, and gather information needed to ensure that there are no electric cables or water lines in the area.
- Measure and lay out fence lines and mark posthole positions, following instructions, drawings, or specifications.
- Set metal or wooden posts in upright positions in postholes.
- Align posts, by lines or sighting, and verify vertical alignment of posts, using plumb bobs or spirit levels.
- Attach rails or tension wire along bottoms of posts to form fencing frames.
- Dig postholes, using spades, posthole diggers, or power-driven augers.
- Mix and pour concrete around bases of posts, or tamp soil into postholes to embed posts.
- Attach fence rail supports to posts, using hammers and pliers.
- Assemble gates, and fasten gates into position, using hand tools.
- Make rails for fences, by sawing lumber or by cutting metal tubing to required lengths.
- Nail top and bottom rails to fence posts, or insert them in slots on posts.
- Discuss fencing needs with customers, and estimate and quote prices.
- Stretch wire, wire mesh, or chain link fencing between posts, and attach fencing to frames.
- Complete top fence rails of metal fences by connecting tube sections, using metal sleeves.
- Erect alternate panel, basket weave, and louvered fences.
- Insert metal tubing through rail supports.
- Nail pointed slats to rails to construct picket fences.
- Construct and repair barriers, retaining walls, trellises, and other types of fences, walls, and gates.
- Weld metal parts together, using portable gas welding equipment.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $30,527
- 25th percentile
- $36,561
- 50th percentile
- $44,905
- 75th percentile
- $59,675
- 90th percentile
- $77,943
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $44,905 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+8%faster than average
202535,077 jobs
2035 projected37,879 jobs
2,802 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- High school diploma or less
- 76.9%
- Some college
- 22.1%
- Certificate
- 1%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Operation and Control
- Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Equipment Selection
- Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Mathematics
- Using mathematics to solve problems.
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Fence Installers1,274 postings
- 02Fence Builders119 postings
- 03Laborers110 postings
- 04Installers/Foremen81 postings
- 05ICE Technicians71 postings
- 06Installer Helpers43 postings
- 07Laborers/Installation Technicians17 postings
- 08Subcontractor Installers16 postings
- 09Apprentice Installers15 postings
- 10Construction Laborers14 postings
- 11Technician Helpers13 postings
- 12Drivers/Service Technicians12 postings
- 13Labor Foremen11 postings
- 14Drivers/Installers10 postings
- 15Laborers/Installers10 postings
- 16Emergency Room Directors9 postings
- 17Installation Technicians9 postings
- 18General Construction Laborers8 postings
- 19Repair Technicians8 postings
- 20Drivers/Crew Leaders6 postings
Top employers
- 01United Site Services95 postings
- 02Sunbelt Rentals67 postings
- 03United Rentals32 postings
- 04Aerotek25 postings
- 05Viking Fence Company25 postings
- 06Empire Netting And Fence17 postings
- 07American Fence And Company15 postings
- 08Pro Max Fence Systems15 postings
- 09Western Fence Co.14 postings
- 10Express Employment Professionals13 postings
- 11Superior Fence And Rail13 postings
- 12Federal Rent A Fence12 postings
- 13Graber Outdoors11 postings
- 14Diamond Environmental Services10 postings
- 15Peerless Fence8 postings
- 16Veterans Fence Co8 postings
- 17A To Z Quality Fencing7 postings
- 18All American Fence7 postings
- 19City Fence7 postings
- 20Huber Fencing7 postings
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